🥛 Is your glass half full or half empty? Does it matter?
Actually, it does. A number of studies have shown that optimists enjoy higher levels of well-being, better sleep, lower stress, better cardiovascular health and immune function – and are higher paid.
Plus, as is detailed in this article from The Washington Post a study links being an optimist to a longer life!
The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) surveyed over 160,000 racially diverse women over 26 years and found that those who had the highest levels of optimism were more likely to live longer - some even into their nineties.
It's easy to be optimistic when life is going well but much more difficult to do so when setbacks happen.
Serotonin (happiness/status), oxytocin (trust/social bonding) and dopamine (pleasure/reward) are the critical ingredients to promote realistic optimism. To boost these we need:
🔮 Heightened awareness of our emotions
💪Courage to face negative emotions
🧘 Enhanced awareness of our body
🧠 A learning mindset
How does this work in practice?
Biological reactions to stress — such as elevated cortisol (aka the “stress hormone”), increased heart rate and blood pressure, and poor immune systems can negatively affect our health over time and increase our risk for developing life-threatening illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease.
Optimists deal with stress differently than pessimists.
🌿 They use adaptive coping strategies that help them resolve the source of the stress
🌿 They problem-solve and plan ways to deal with the stressor head on
🌿 They use their support network and call on others for advice and help
🌿 They try to find a “silver lining” in difficult situations
…all very Physically Intelligent! While these things aren't always possible for everyone, as the article states, "staying physically active, eating a healthy diet, managing stress and getting a good night’s sleep" all help you cultivate a more optimistic mind-set which could, in turn further increase your chances for a long life, so it’s certainly worth a try.
Are you naturally an optimist or a pessimist? How do you remain optimistic?
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